Providing Cloud-Based Computing Services

1. A method for providing a cloud-based computing service to a user, said method comprising: receiving a request for the computing service to be performed for the user, wherein the request includes a selection of at least one flow-slice, said at least one flow-slice comprising a unit of network use that is defined based upon a user selection of a subset of a plurality of parameter options associated with the network use and a user selection of at least one connection between the selected subset of the plurality of parameter options, and wherein the at least one flow-slice comprises a first type of flow-slice and a second type of flow-slice, wherein the first type of flow-slice includes a connection that connects a pair of end-point networking components to each other, wherein the second type of flow-slice includes a connection that connects groups of end-point infrastructure components together; estimating workloads to be performed by a plurality of infrastructure components to satisfy the user-selected subset of the plurality of parameter options and the at least one connection between the selected subset of the plurality of parameter options of the at least one flow-slice; and determining, using a processor, a provisioning scheme for the plurality of infrastructure components to implement the estimated workloads on the plurality of infrastructure components.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of parameter options comprises server options, networking component options, storage component options, bandwidth consumption options, encryption/decryption options, of use of firewalls options and use of load-balancing options.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein receiving the request for the service further comprises receiving a request that includes a selection of at least one of the first type of flow-slice and at least one of the second type of flow-slice.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein determining the provisioning scheme for the plurality of infrastructure components further comprises mapping the at least one first type of flow-slice and the at least one of the second type of flow-slice to at least one of a respective virtual local area network (VLAN) and a respective virtual routing and forwarding (VRF) instance to the plurality of infrastructure components.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein mapping further comprises: for the at least one first type of flow-slice, finding a path in a network topology of the plurality of infrastructure components that connects two end-point infrastructure components of the plurality of infrastructure components that meets a network bandwidth constraint of the plurality of infrastructure components while minimizing total capacity utilization of the plurality of infrastructure components; and for the at least one second type of flow-slice, finding a tree in the network topology that connects at least two groups of end-point infrastructure components.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the plurality of infrastructure components comprise network switches, said method further comprising: dedicating each of the at least one of the VLANs and the VRF instances to the mapped at least one of the first type of flow-slice and the at least one of the second type of flow-slice; and tagging ports of a plurality of the network switches corresponding to the path and tree onto the dedicated at least one of the VLANs and the VRF instances to configure the plurality of infrastructure components to perform the requested service.

7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising: supplying the user with an interface through which the user is provided with graphical representations of the plurality of parameter options and a plurality of connection options, wherein the user is to select the subset of the plurality of parameter options and the at least one connection through a graphical positioning of the selected subset of the plurality of parameter options and the at least one connection; and wherein receiving the request for the service further comprises receiving the request for the service through the interface.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the interface is to provision the at least one flow-slice subject to at least one provision contained in a service level agreement.

9. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the interface is to provide the user with an indication of a quality of service level and a monetary cost corresponding to the selected subset of the plurality of parameter options and at least one connection, and wherein the quality of service and the monetary cost are to vary with selection of at least one different subset of a plurality of parameter options and at least one connection.

10. An apparatus for provisioning infrastructure components for providing a cloud-based computing service to a user, said apparatus comprising: a processor; and a memory on which is stored machine readable instructions that cause the processor to: receive a request for the computing service to be performed for the user, wherein the request includes a selection of at least one flow-slice, said at least one flow-slice comprising a unit of network use that is defined based upon a user selection of a subset of a plurality of parameter options associated with the network use and a user selection of at least one connection between the selected subset of the plurality of parameter options, and wherein the at least one flow-slice comprises a first type of flow-slice and a second type of flow-slice, wherein the first type of flow-slice includes a connection that connects a pair of end-point networking components to each other, wherein the second type of flow-slice includes a connection that connects groups of end-point infrastructure components together; estimate workloads to be performed by the infrastructure components to satisfy the user-selected subset of the plurality of parameter options and the at least one connection between the selected subset of the plural of parameter options of the at least one flow-slice; and determine a provisioning scheme for the networking components to implement the estimated workloads.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the plurality of parameter options comprises server options, networking component options, storage component options, bandwidth consumption options, encryption/decryption options, of use of firewalls options and use of load-balancing options.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein receiving the request for the service further comprises receiving a request that includes a selection of at least one of the first type of flow-slice and at least one of the second type of flow-slice.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the machine readable instructions, to determine the provisioning scheme for the plurality of infrastructure components, are further to map the at least one first type of flow-slice and the at least one of the second type of flow-slice to at least one of a respective virtual local area network (VLAN) and a respective virtual routing and forwarding (VRF) instance to the plurality of infrastructure components in the plurality of infrastructure components.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein for the at least one first type of flow-slice, the machine readable instructions are further to find a path in a network topology of the plurality of infrastructure components that connects two end-point infrastructure components of the plurality of infrastructure components that meets a network bandwidth constraint of the plurality of infrastructure components while minimizing total capacity utilization of the plurality of infrastructure components and for the at least one second type of flow-slice, the at least one module is further to find a tree in the network topology that connects at least two groups of end-point infrastructure components.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the plurality of infrastructure components comprise network switches, and wherein the machine readable instructions are further to dedicate each of the at least one of the VLANs and the VRF instances to the mapped at least one of the first type of flow-slice and the at least one of the second type of flow-slice and to tag ports of a plurality of the network switches corresponding to the path and tree onto the dedicated at least one of the VLANs and the VRF instances to configure the plurality of infrastructure components to perform the requested service.

16. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the at least one module is further to supply the user with an interface through which the user is to be provided with graphical representations of the plurality of parameter options and a plurality of connection options, wherein the user is to select the subset of the plurality of parameter options and the at least one connection through a graphical positioning of the selected subset of the plurality of parameter options and the at least one connection with respect to each other, and to receive the request for the service through the interface.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the interface is to provide the user with an indication of a quality of service level and a monetary cost associated with the selected subset of the plurality of parameter options and the at least one connection, and wherein the quality of service level and the monetary cost are to vary with selection of at least one different subset of a plurality of parameter options and at least one connection.

18. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium on which is embedded at least one computer program, said at least one computer program implementing a method for providing a cloud-based computing service to a user, said at least one computer program comprising a set of instructions to: receive a request for the computing service to be performed for the user, wherein the request includes a selection of at least one flow-slice, said at least one flow-slice comprising a unit of network use that is defined based upon a user selection of a subset of a plurality of parameter options associated with the network use and a user selection of at least one connection between the selected subset of the plurality of parameter options, wherein the plurality of parameter options comprises parameter options selected from the group consisting of server options, networking component options, storage component options, bandwidth consumption options, encryption/decryption options, of use of firewalls options and use of load-balancing options, and wherein the at least one flow-slice comprises a first type of flow-slice and a second type of flow-slice, wherein the first type of flow-slice includes a connection that connects a pair of end-point networking components to each other, wherein the second type of flow-slice includes a connection that connects groups of end-point infrastructure components together; estimate workloads to be performed by a plurality of infrastructure components to satisfy the user-selected subset of the plurality of parameter options and the at least one connection between the selected subset of the plurality of parameter options of the at least one flow-slice; and determine a provisioning scheme for the plurality of infrastructure components to implement the estimated workloads on the plurality of infrastructure components.

19. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium on which is embedded at least one computer program, said at least one computer program implementing a service entry interface tool, said at least one computer program comprising a set of instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to: supply a plurality of parameter options and connection options pertaining to a request for a computing service, wherein a user is to select a subset of the plurality of parameter options and at least one of the connection options to connect the selected subset of the plurality of parameter options to each other, and wherein the connection options comprise a first type of flow-slice and a second type of flow-slice, wherein the first type of flow-slice includes a connection that connects a pair of end-point networking components to each other, wherein the second type of flow-slice includes a connection that connects groups of end-point infrastructure components together; identify the subset of the plurality of parameter options and the at least one connection option that have been selected by the user; estimate a monetary cost associated with the selected subset of the plurality of parameter options and the at least one connection; output the estimated monetary cost associated with the selected subset of the plurality of parameter options and the at least one connection; and receive an instruction pertaining to whether the request for computing service satisfying the selected subset of the plurality of parameter options and the at least one connection, and having the estimated monetary cost is accepted by a cloud-based computing service.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 19 , wherein the plurality of parameter options comprises parameter options selected from the group consisting of server options, networking component options, storage component options, bandwidth consumption options, encryption/decryption options, of use of firewalls options and use of load-balancing options.